Duke in D.C.

Duke in D.C. gives students who are interested in public policy, public service, and careers in the public sector an opportunity to engage in hands-on law practice through a full-time externship experience in Washington, D.C. The program has two components: a semester-long externship placement with a D.C.-area government or non-profit organization, and a weekly seminar course (with a substantial research paper requirement) taught by Duke Law faculty. Duke in D.C. students earn 9 credits (450 fieldwork hours) for the externship (graded credit/no credit), and 4 graded credits for the Duke in D.C. seminar & research paper. Duke in D.C. students must complete their externship fieldwork hours between the semester's first day of classes and the last day of exams. A course in Professional Responsibility/Ethics is a pre-requisite for enrollment in Duke in D.C. As of 2018, Duke in D.C. will be a FALL semester program. This means that, barring exceptional circumstances, it will be open to students only in the Fall of their third year.

Duke in D.C. takes advantage of Duke Law's proximity to Washington, D.C., and the extraordinary connections and expertise of Duke Law faculty. Duke Law faculty testify on Capitol Hill, advise policymakers, and research and write about federal policy and regulation in areas such as business and finance, intellectual property, environmental law, international law and human rights, national security, federal criminal and civil law, and more.

For students interested in externing with the SEC, please take some time to look through our SEC Info Packet(NetID and password required). We have compiled office/division descriptions from across the SEC website, extern role descriptions, and advice from previous Duke in DC SEC externs.

Interested in Duke in D.C.?

DEADLINE: the last day of Registration for the semester you wish to go.

Keep in mind, however, that the placements themselves often have much earlier deadlines.

Securing an Externship Placement for Duke in D.C.

Students are encouraged to seek out and secure their own externship placements for participation in Duke in D.C., so as to target their specific interests and goals with regard to skills practice and professional development. View past placements.

Resources for externship placement-seeking for regulatory law experiences include:

Students also are encouraged to contact their own Congressional representatives (or the representatives of where your parents live/you used to live) in order to inquire about externship opportunities with individual members' offices: Senate Member List and House Member List

Duke in D.C. includes:

Duke in D.C. listserv

Sign up for the Duke in D.C. email listserv, through which you will receive information related to externship opportunities and deadlines, DC/NC housing coordination, and other administrative information related to the Duke in D.C. program.